Clicker Number 44
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: A classroom electronic device sparks Snitch's interest in the mysterious prodigy who sits next to him in Astronomy class. But can he catch the attention of a boy whose only interest seems to be academics? SNITTERY! COMPLETED!
1. No Longer Debating

Alright, this idea came straight from my college's lame ass Astronomy class. I know the title is obscure, but it'll all make sense once you start reading. Enjoy!

* * *

The teacher called it a 'clicker'. Honestly, I didn't care what the damn thing was called…it was the bane of my existence right now.

So, what exactly is a clicker? My friends and I didn't have a clue, all we knew was that it was a requirement of the Astronomy course to buy one and bring it to every single class. It looked like a small, bright blue remote control, with 8 buttons on it: A, B, C, D, E, F, an asterisk, and a blank button.

It was also evidently a good chew toy, since Dutchy was chewing on it as he walked. Or maybe that was just because he was digging through his backpack with one hand, holding the bag with the other, and therefore had no free hands with which to hold the accursed blue object.

"It was here, I was sure it was here," he finally said, his speech garbled from talking around the remote.

"What?"

"The instructions."

"Instructions?"

He threw his backpack back over her shoulder and grabbed the clicker from his mouth. "The instructions for the clicker, damnit!"

"…It has eight buttons, Dutchy. It can't be that hard to figure out."

"Snitchykins…have you ever thought about the fact that it could be a conspiracy?" He asked, looking around and lowering his voice. "The blank button. I've read the instructions eight times, and they don't say anything about the blank button. Just think…all of the students pressing the blank button at the same time could be triggered to set off a nuclear explosion in Uzbekistan."

"Uzbekistan?"

"Yeah. You know…where that one guy lives."

"Right…"

I spotted Specs sitting on a bench by the sidewalk not too far ahead, but before I could warn the boy, his peaceful time reading a book was abruptly disturbed by his blonde boyfriend leaping onto his lap.

"Hey sexy," Dutchy said, planting a kiss on Specs's lips before he could protest.

"Well, I certainly hope your ass is keeping my place," Specs said, more amused than anything. He was used to Dutchy's antics after growing up next door to him. He pulled the book out from under Dutchy, bookmarking his spot before kissing the blonde boy.

"Come on, you two. We're gonna be late," I said, rolling my eyes and checking my watch. We had five minutes to get down to the Cooper Science building, but considering we hadn't even passed Hargraves Music Building or the scatter light, it wasn't going to be easy to get there on time.

I tuned out the other two boys as we stopped at the intersection and waited for Charlie Cardinal to give his 'chirp signal', a sign that pedestrians could cross the intersection safely without fear of being struck by one of the campus busses.

The truth was, I'd been lonely ever since I got here. Sure, since I'd only lived twenty minutes away a lot of my high school friends and acquaintances went here as well, but now that they were college kids the fact that I'd been popular in high school meant nothing. I'd never realized how shy I really was until I got here and had trouble making friends.

Of course I could always count on Specs and Dutchy to be there for me; but who doesn't feel like a third wheel around them? Not their fault, I know, but along with brightening my day they confuse me even more about my own sexuality. The truth was, I had no idea what I was: gay, bi, straight…it was all just a baffling blur to me.

"Snitch? Snitch, are you listening?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at Specs, who had conveniently given Dutchy a Twix bar to shut him up momentarily.

"Uh, sorry…not really," I said.

"What's wrong? You've really seemed down lately."

I cringed. "It's nothing. I'm just adjusting."

He eyed me suspiciously, but didn't say any more about it for now. I knew I would get the full interrogation later though; normally I was a really happy, upbeat person, but I hadn't been lately.

We finally made it to Cooper Science after passing the North Quad and the Geography building, and a field in which a few select art students displayed strange, twisted pieces of metal that they called 'art'. I think it's just what happens when construction workers get bored. But I'd never say that in Dutchy's presence, him being an art and theater major and dance minor.

Nutcase.

The planetarium was on the bottom floor (now how does _that_ make sense? Staring at stars, in the basement?), but the lecture room was two doors down from that, and most of the place was filled. Dutchy immediately dragged Specs to the back row where two seats were still empty, and I dropped my backpack at the first empty seat I saw.

And when I looked at the boy sitting in the seat next to mine, all confusion left my brain. I could suddenly see it, clear as water from my mother's fancy water cleansing filter system.

I was gay. No doubts anymore; one glance at this boy told me that I always had been and always will be gay.

He had brown hair the color of caramel (I'm obsessed with anything and everything caramel, so you can imagine…), a tall, lean form, and stormy hazel eyes that were now focused on a paper covered in Calculus equations.

I suddenly realized I was staring when he looked up at me and raised an eyebrow inquisitively, probably wondering why I'd dropped my bag and not sat down yet.

And good Lord, him looking at me was almost enough to make my legs give out from under me.

At that moment, the teacher called out that class was about to start, and I dropped down into my seat before my weak knees forced me to the floor. With shaking hands I pulled my clicker out of my bag and set it on my desk, along with my Astronomy binder.

"Press the blank button on your clicker to mark yourself as present," the teacher said, bringing up a screen of numbers on the overhead. I pressed the blank button, smirking as I remembered Dutchy's comment about blowing up Uzbekistan, and the number 17 lit up on the screen.

I quickly looked over and tried to discreetly watch the boy beside me pull out his clicker, and the instant he pressed the button I noted that number 44 lit up on the screen.

Clicker number 44. I'd have to remember that.

I heard a brief argument in the back of the room, and I rolled my eyes as I heard the words 'Uzbekistan' and 'conspiracy'. The number 23 lit up last of all, and I knew that Specs had stolen Dutchy's clicker and forced him to count himself present.

The rest of the class was just a blur for me. All I remembered was watching the boy out of the corner of my eye, studying him as he laboriously took down every note, adding extra explanation where it was needed, and generally being a stellar student. Meanwhile, my notes consisted of the topic name and the date. The fact that the teacher talked in a droning monotone wasn't helping one bit.

The only thing I remember clearly was when class ended, and the teacher assigned homework. I jotted down the homework assignment, watched my first case of love-at-first-sight walk out the door, and then set to work packing up my books.

"Well, _someone's_ smitten."

I looked up at Specs and laughed. "I thought we'd already established you as being thoroughly whipped."

"At least I don't stare at Dutchy through an entire two hour class."

Dutchy looked hurt. "You don't?"

"I wasn't staring! I was…deviously glancing."

"For minutes at a time," Specs said, a knowing grin on his face. "So, where does he dot his I's?"

"A little to the left. And sometimes he doesn't," I said, not even realizing that I'd been watching him that closely. I sighed heavily. "I _am_ smitten, aren't I?"

"So horribly smitten, dude."

I groaned and threw my backpack on my shoulders, but somehow I felt a whole lot better than I had before class. I immediately decided that I wouldn't go straight back to my dorm tonight; I'd take a swing past Lafollette, where Blink and Mush were living.

Blink, having already been here one year with his boyfriend Mush, is the all time hacking king. But somehow he managed to escape the label of 'computer geek', even though anyone with computer problems came to him. I think it's either because of the eyepatch or the fact that he's the star of the soccer team, maybe both.

After a thorough bout of teasing from Dutchy and Specs concerning my new crush, I split off from them and walked the extra mile out of my way to get to Lafollette. Lafollette was quite possibly the worst place the live on campus; not that the living arrangements were bad, but the building was one of the farthest away from everything else. It was a full ¾ mile past the bell tower, closer to the football stadium.

I pulled out my cell phone as he entered the building and called up to Blink's room; see, at our school you can't get past the lobby of any of the dorms without a card key for that building. It really sucks, because unless you follow someone in who has a key, you can't surprise anyone.

After two rings, Mush picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Mush? It's me, Snitch. Is Blink there?"

"Oh! Uh, hey Snitch. Um…hang on. He's, uh…under the bed," Mush said, covering the phone with his hand and yelling at Blink to "stop messin' around and come get the phone".

Honestly…I didn't even _want_to know why Blink was under the bed.

"Hello?"

"Blink, come down here and let me in, man. I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"Come let me in, damnit."

"How much you got on you?"

"Blink, let me in or I'll tell your mother what you used her dining room table for last weekend."

A pause. "Coming."

Ah, the blessings of blackmail material…

I only had to wait about thirty seconds before Blink opened the door for me, and he raised an eyebrow.

"What's so important that you came to see us at nine o'clock at night?" He asked as we began walking up the three flights of stairs to his room.

"Like I said, I need a favor. And you still owe me for buying you Chick-Fil-A last Wednesday when you forgot your ID card."

"Alright, you win. What is it?"

"Uh…you know those clickers that they gave us for Astronomy?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Mush has one."

"Can you look up information on a person off the ID number on their clicker?"

He grinned as he pushed the door open to his room. "Have no fear, my friend. I can figure it out. But why do you need it?"

"Just…curious."

"Uh huh. If I didn't think you'd use the dining room table against me, I'd drill you for more info."

"You got that right."

With that, he set to work hacking the clicker registration on the school's website. I talked with Mush about his latest escapades as a music major while I waited, learning that there were auditions coming up for the Phantom of the Opera; the school of music had been on a string of obscure musicals and operas for almost ten years, and this year's theme was "going back to traditional".

It took Blink less than two minutes to hack into the records. "Alright, what's the number?"

"44."

He worked for a minute or so more, and then finished up and leaned back, doing a 'Vanna White' motion toward the screen.

"Isaac Von Lorne, 18, a freshman Pre Med and Biology double major, Asian Studies as a minor, focus in Chinese. Boy, Snitch…you sure can pick 'em. This kid is Dean's List from day one. Honor's College."

I was too busy being in awe of Isaac's repertoire to hear Blink's last comment. What had I gotten myself into? I wasn't all that smart, certainly not that much into my studies, and this kid was a fuckin' genius. Probably aiming for medical school or something like that. I sat down on Mush's bed, almost sitting right on his feet.

"Hey! Who said you could sit there?" Mush snapped playfully, kicking at me while scooting over.

"Mush, he's having a lust induced coronary. Leave him alone," Blink mock-whispered, and I scowled at him.

"I am not. It's just…he's…"

"Unattainable? A workaholic? A perfectionist?"

"He's the one," I found myself saying without even thinking about it.

Mush raised an eyebrow and kicked at me again. "I think he _is_ having a lust induced coronary."

"Snitch, you know that's bullshit. You can pursue him all you want, but I don't want you getting your heart broken over some self-centered prodigy," Blink said, sitting down next to me and receiving a kick from Mush as well.

"I know, I know, but…" I trailed off and just shook my head. "Nevermind. I need to go sleep before my brain melts."

"Hey, we sold brain melts at homecoming last year, didn't we?"

Blink ignored Mush's question and patted me on the back. "I'll print out this info for you, and then you go sleep on it. If you're still head over heels for this guy come Thursday, I'm gonna have to meet him and give him my own once over."

"Yes, _mother_," I teased, standing up as he began to print out the profile.

"I'm just lookin' out for you. Believe me, I've had 'lust at first sight' before. I know what you're going through," Blink said with a shrug.

"It's not lust," I insisted as he shoved the printed profile in my hands.

"Is he sexy as all get-out?" Blink asked.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Lust at first sight. Go sleep it off."

I muttered once again about it not being lust, but he didn't hear me. I said my goodbyes, and they continued the conversation on the subject of brain melts as I walked away.

It wasn't lust. I knew it wasn't. But was Blink right? Was the whole thing about knowing that one special person the instant you see them untrue?

The bigger question…why had I said it? I'd never believed in that stuff, and here I was claiming to experience it…I must have been really, really tired.

Only one way to find out. I'd have to get to know Isaac the conventional way.

* * *

Wow, this is fun stuff. I'm lovin' this. Wow…that's a long chapter, too. Hell, it shouldn't have even been multiple chapters, but the muses took over. So…yeah. Three or four chapters, maybe five? I dunno. Hey, I need to stop rambling.

Anyways, a little contest is included in this fic. The first person to guess which college this takes place at gets to choose the pairing and general situation for my next fic. I'm trying to get myself back into the habit of writing, so this little contest is beneficial to me as well. Put your guesses in with your lovely reviews!

Oh…and if you know me and go to my college, don't guess. That means you, Alexy.

Review, my pretties!


	2. Thank God For Forgetfulness

No correct guesses on the college yet, but I'll be giving out lots more hints, and you are allowed to guess more than once! Just pay close attention- if you really look, there are some things that I've already said that are exclusive to this college…This is fun.

Also…just to pay homage to a newsie who is much too often overlooked, all you Pie Eater fans have something to look forward to! He's going to become an important character pretty soon…

Shout Outs!

Oxymoronic Alliteration – AH, my first reviewer! Your teacher calls them wands? That's…even more retarded than 'clickers', haha. It's only gonna get hotter from here on out! And your guess is wrong, but pretty soon I'm gonna drop bigger hints, so keep watching…

Eagle Higgins-Conlon – Patience, my friend. I'll try to update this daily, though it might be hard over the weekend.

Erin Go Bragh – Wrong guess, but keep trying! It'll get easier to figure out, I promise. Yeah, I know Specs and Dutchy are a bit stereotypical, but that's because they're comic relief. I didn't think Blink and Mush were acting stereotypical…guess I'll have to work on that. And please…don't ask why Blink was under the bed; you probably don't wanna know. And don't worry; I don't believe in love at first sight either…except for Snitch and Skitts. It just…fits.

Saturday – Aw, well thanks! And you can thank my Dutchy!Muse for the whole Uzbekistan thing. Came straight from his twisted mind. And yes, Blink the computer genius is the coolest thing ever.

CitrusPeach – Aw, thanks! I think it's adorable just cause…well…it's Snitch, for cryin' out loud. And Skitts. That's automatic adorable-ness.

Bobcat: slashgoil – Well, don't fall off. Here I am, saving the day with wonderful Snittery, Sputchy, and Blush fluffiness!

Alexandria Duncan – Damnit, you mentioned the closet. You know what happens when you mention the closet!!! (( glares at two muses in particular, who try their best to look innocent )) You owe me a big, gooey chocolate chip cookie for putting thoughts in their heads.

Strawberri Shake – I love this idea too. I'm really enjoying writing this! And yes, Specs is insane, but at least he balances out the pair with his logic. Hacker!Blink does rock, VERY much so. And don't be scared of Skitts! Love Skitts!

On to the story, YAY!

* * *

You know all those kids who complain because they don't want to be lawyers and their dads are making them? Well, imagine the situation in opposite, and you've got me.

My dad wants me to go into business, while I'd rather go into the criminal justice system. Figures my life would be screwed up like that. So, instead of making a decision one way or the other, I went into college with my major proclaimed as 'undecided'.

It's not often a guy goes to college, knows exactly what he wants to do with his life, and declares his major 'undecided'.

Those were the kind of thoughts I was thinking when I was supposed to be doing homework for German. But instead of writing out the practice sentences my feet were propped up on the desk, my gaze was on the fish tank, and my hand was tapping the pencil on the blank sheet of paper. I looked up at Pie Eater, my roommate, who was still fast asleep in his loft.

I sighed heavily. Why couldn't I just be as sure as him about everything? Of course, I certainly didn't want to be in his situation; his family was broke, so he was trying to work a job at the local Outback Steakhouse to support his education as an architecture major. He almost never slept anymore, just for a half hour or so between classes. It wasn't strange for me to wake up at 3:30 am to see him coming in from a night of work at the architecture building.

But no matter how hard it was for him, I was still jealous. He knew what he wanted, his family supported his decision, and he never once complained.

Meanwhile, I was still in mental turmoil over everything.

I had to do something to get my mind off that subject. I picked up the profile that Blink had printed for me, looking over the paper with the same intense interest that I had the night before.

Maybe Blink was right; maybe this guy was out of my league.

"Sigh a little louder, why dontcha?"

My head snapped up and I saw Pie Eater looking down at me, a quizzical expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Pie…didn't mean to wake you up," I said quietly.

"Nah, I needed to get up anyway. I have my architectural history class at noon," he said, jumping down from the loft. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Nothin' important."

He frowned and glanced at the paper over my shoulder. I should've known he would; if curiosity could kill, this kid would've died a thousand deaths in the past week.

"Hey! Isaac Von Lorne! I know him," he said with a smile.

"You do?" I asked, immediately looking up at him. Pie seemed taken aback by my eagerness.

"Uh, yeah…he went to my high school," he said with a shrug.

"Were you friends with him?"

Now Pie was grinning mischievously. "Since when were you so interested in my high school friends?"

"Since, uh…well…"

"Thought so. But really, don't get your hopes up."

I blinked. "Why not?"

Pie sat down at his desk, gathering his books for his next class and taking a deep breath as if he were about to start a long story. "Nobody at our school knew him very well, but from what I heard, this is the story. His dad is some multi-millionaire surgeon, a real prick, but his mom died about four years ago. So…Isaac never really gave up trying to make his dad happy after that, you know? And his dad wants him to get a PhD. So this guy never dated in high school, never went out to social functions, never did anything like that. He was always studying. Ended up being valedictorian even though every single class in his senior schedule was AP or Honors."

Well, now Blink's theory that this guy was unattainable was becoming more and more probable in my mind. "But…does he want to be a doctor?"

Pie shrugged. "Who knows? He's painfully shy. Only time he talked was when he had to for a grade. The rest of the time he was just…quiet."

I sighed again. "Why do I always pick the impossible ones?"

"Well, at least you've got good taste. I mean, he _is_ hot."

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he snickered. "I've gotta get to class. See you later, Snitch."

He walked out, and I promptly walked to our big, orange, tattered recliner chair by the window and plopped down in it. My life was only getting more screwed up by the second. But something else was bothering me now.

What if Isaac was in the same position as me? What if he didn't want to be a doctor, and that was only his dad's dream for him? _You're trying to make this out to be a bad soap opera, _I thought bitterly. _He probably wants to be a doctor, make his millions, marry a pretty girl, have a few kids…_

The phone suddenly jolted me out of my thoughts, and I got up and walked to where it should've been. However, I had to toss Pie's boxers off the phone before I could pick it up; he was so disorganized…

"Hello?"

"Heya, Snitchy, it's Specs."

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Not much. Could you tell me what the Astronomy homework was? I didn't get it written down cause _someone_ was _distracting me_!" he said, obviously directing a few parts of that sentence away from the phone and toward the other person in his room.

"Sure. Hang on."

I looked around for my backpack, but I didn't see it where I normally put it beside the door. I frowned, looking around the rest of the room, but it was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Pie had moved it when he came in last night.

"Hey, can I call you back on that?" I said to Specs, and he agreed and I hung up the phone. I searched for close to ten minutes, but still, no backpack. I sat down, trying to think of where I last had it.

Blink's room. I had set it on the floor beside Mush's bed when I went there. I must have left it there.

I picked up the phone and dialed Blink's number, and it rang eleven times before I gave up. They were either at class or busy with something else that I didn't want to think about.

I sighed once again; I knew Specs would get into one of his 'paranoid nervous' moods if I didn't tell him what the assignment was, but I had no idea when Blink or Mush would be back in their room.

My eyes suddenly locked on the profile laying on my desk, and quite suddenly I realized that it had Isaac's phone number on it. If I called him…well, he would think I was stalking him or something. How would I explain how I got his number? Well, there was an online gradebook with the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of everyone in the class. I could've gotten it from there.

I stared at the phone for a moment, wondering if I could really do this. I might freeze up upon hearing his voice, or I might stutter and make myself sound like a total idiot…

But I had to get that assignment, right? Valid excuse.

My hand shaking, I reached over and picked up the phone, taking my sweet time dialing the number. Maybe he wouldn't be there. Maybe he was at class or something.

It rang once. Twice. Three times. Then, finally, someone picked up.

"Hello?"

I started to speak but couldn't for a moment. I just sat there, nervous as hell as my mind forgot how to tell my mouth to speak.

"Uh…Hello?"

Finally my mind kicked into gear. "Hey, is Isaac there?"

A pause. "Isaac? You're callin' for Isaac?"

"Um…yeah."

Another pause. "Hang on, man, I'll get him."

Well…it seemed that Isaac didn't get phone calls very often. And I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or scared to death that he was actually there.

I heard the boy yell at Isaac to come get the phone, and after a short, muffled conversation, I heard the phone switch hands.

"Hello?"

For the second time in that conversation, my brain froze. That voice, just a perfect, smooth voice…it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Hello?" He asked again. I noticed that his voice was really cute when he was confused, and logged that in my "things to remember every detail of" brain file.

"Um, hey Isaac. It's Snitch. Well, actually Scott, but my friends just call me Snitch. I'm, uh…in your Astronomy class, I sat next to you…I got your number out of the online gradebook."

A long pause. "Okay…Did you want something?"

_Oh, I want you, I want you so bad, a whole lot more than this damn assignment…_

"Oh! Yeah. I was wondering if you could tell me what the assignment was."

"You wrote it down, didn't you?"

Oh, that made me happy beyond words. He'd actually noticed something that I did! He was actually watching, or at least glanced at me at that moment. Briefly I wondered exactly what I'd been doing at that moment, wondered how my hair looked…

"Yeah, I wrote it down, but I left my backpack at a friend's room and it's written down in there," I explained. _Great, _I thought to myself. _Now you sound like an irresponsible idiot_.

"Oh. Um…hang on, let me look."

I listened intently as I heard papers shuffling around, and tried to imagine him looking through his papers, his hair falling into his eyes…

"Alright, it's page thirteen, questions to review one through fifteen. And study the notes," he said and I grabbed a Post-It note and jotted down the assignment. It was awfully hard to concentrate on what he was saying, when he had a voice like _that_.

"Thank you so much," I managed to say. And that's the point where the part of me tat is far too bold for my own good took over. "Hey, can I ask a favor?"

"Uh…sure. What is it?" He asked, sounding surprised. I kicked myself, wishing I hadn't said it, but now I had to finish what I started.

"Um…well, to be honest, science really isn't my best subject. In fact, I kinda suck at it," I said, chuckling nervously. It was the truth, anyway; I _did_ suck at science. "I was wondering if…maybe, before the test…you could help me out a bit. You know, help me study."

At first, I thought I'd put the poor kid in shock. There was complete silence on the other end of the line for a full ten seconds. Ten agonizing seconds.

"Yeah, sure. I could do that," he finally said, and I couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"Thanks, dude," I said, my voice practically dripping adoration.

"It's no problem. Um…just call me up when you need help."

"Sure. I mean, yeah, I will."

A hesitation. "See ya later."

"Bye!"

I hung up the phone and promptly squealed like a preteen girl. He was actually going to tutor me! I was going to sit beside him and talk to him, have his undivided attention…it was like a dream. An amazingly wonderful dream.

I grabbed the phone and dialed Specs's number.

"Heya, Snitch. Did you get that assignment?" He asked when he picked up the phone. Lucky bastard with caller ID.

"Specs! I talked to him!!"

"…Dude, I don't wanna know about your wet dreams. I just wanted the assignment."

"No, dude, you don't get it! I had the assignment written down in my Astronomy folder, but after Astronomy last night I went over to Blink's, and I left my folder there. I tried to call Blink, but no one answered, but then I remembered that Blink had given me Isaac's student profile, and it had his phone number on it, and so I just decided to call him and I did and he gave me the assignment and then I asked if he would help tutor me since I'm not good at science and he said YES!"

Needless to say, I was gasping for air and Specs was totally silent by the end of _that_ speech.

"You _what_? And he did _what_?" He finally asked.

"Specs, I asked him to help me study for the test. And he said _yes_," I said, much slower than before.

"Wow. Uh…congratulations."

"Congratulations? We need to throw a god damn PARTY, Specs!"

I heard Dutchy yell "Yay, party!" in the background, and Specs shushed him.

"Well, I hope that goes well, but I _really_ need that assignment right now, you dumbass."

"Psh. You just don't love me anymore," I said, pulling the Post-It note off the table and reading off the assignment to him.

"You're right. I don't. Thanks, Snitch," he teased playfully.

"No problem. Hey, I'm gonna invade your place for dinner tonight, okay?"

"Hey, sure, as long as you don't mind that Itey's invading too with Spot. Hey…you should bring Pie if he's there. That poor kid deserves to have a fun evening for once."

"Sure will, if he can come. See ya later; tell Dutchy to behave."

He laughed. "Will do. See ya."

I hung up the phone and collapsed down into the chair, the sigh that escaped me this time a happy one.

This day had suddenly gotten a whole lot brighter.

* * *

Sorry there weren't any good hints in this chapter, but it never got out of Snitch's room, so…but yeah. Anyways, the more reviews I get, the more likely I'll keep doing shout-outs! So REVIEW!


	3. That Spark

Yes…this story is so fun that I'm updating it twice in one day. Guess the old "Dakota, Queen of Updates" has risen from the grave and reclaimed her place in my head. Keep the reviews coming!

And we have a winner already!!! I can't believe it myself…but congrats to Written Sparks, who guessed Ball State University! We're a medium sized university in Muncie, Indiana, and generally a fun place to be. If you're lookin' for a good college to go to for architecture, music, education, or telecommunications (David Letterman went here!), then this is the place to be!

Shoutouts

Eagle Higgins-Conlon – Yep, they talked! Well, I hope I can cater to you having no patience…how's two chapters in one day, then?

Saturday – Aw, I'm loved! You aren't a spaz. I was holding my breath while I was writing it. Just about died, too. Yeah, my old updating habits seem to be coming back, and it's kinda scary, but hey! It's all good! Keep reviewing, I love ya for it!

Thumbsucker Snitch – Oh. My. God. This is the point at which I bow to you. I LOVE all your fanfiction! You're awesome! And now, you're reviewing my story…excuse me while I have a short seizure…but hey, I love ya, girl! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Written Sparks – THE WINNER! Let's all throw confetti! Alright girl…review and disclose to us how you managed that, cause I have no clue. You must be psychic. And e-mail me with the pairing and situation for my next fanfic…I know ya don't usually read slash, but it's my specialty. Congrats!

Cynic – You're such a dork. And WOO! People, we have a convert here! I have done my duty as a slash author! And I'm writing as fast as I can, damnit…

* * *

That night I dragged Pie over to Specs and Dutchy's room, insisting that he take a break and come join in the festivities. On the way there, though, I decided it was my turn to interrogate someone and not be the one getting questioned for once.

"Pie…you know how you told me you were straight?"

"Yep."

"Straight guys usually don't comment about how another guy is hot."

He was starting to look a little nervous now. "Nope, they don't."

"So…"

He looked down at his feet. "Yeah…I'm gay. But I'm only tellin' you cause I know you won't go around tellin' everyone about it," he said, practically pleading.

After getting over the initial surprise, I finally spoke. "Aw, you can trust me. I won't tell a soul. But…why haven't you come out?"

"Well, to tell you the truth…my church gave me a whole bunch of scholarships. And they're really strict. If they knew I was gay, they might pull the scholarships. And…I _need_ them, Snitch. I'll never make it through four years of college without that money."

I nodded. "That sucks…but I understand. I promise…not a soul."

"Thanks," he said, obviously very relieved. "So…how are things going with your latest crush?"

Damnit. And the subject was thrown right back on me.

"Well…we talked on the phone…"

"Skitts talked? Wow…"

I raised an eyebrow at him, confused. "Who's Skitts?"

"Oh, uh…guess he hasn't told you yet. He goes by Skittery. We gave him that nickname back in ninth grade."

"Why?"

"Cause he was always so skittish around people. And jittery. Kind of a mix of the two words, I guess. Skittish and jittery."

I shook my head and laughed. "And that stuck?"

"Just as much as 'Snitch' stuck with you. So…what did you guys talk about?"

"Well, I asked him if he'd tutor me in Astronomy…"

Pie looked at me wide-eyed. "And he said yes?"

"Yeah, he did."

He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. He's either tryin' to break out of that shell of his, or he likes you."

I blushed. "Do you…do you know if he's gay?"

He shrugged. "Even if he is, do you think he'd tell anyone? His dad would have a heyday with that one…"

By then we had reached Studebaker West, where Dutchy and Specs had their room. I called them with my cell phone, and in just a minute Spot was opening the door for us.

"Heya Snitch. Who's your friend?"

"Um…Pie, this is Spot. Spot, this is Pie Eater."

Spot smirked. "A member of the nickname club as well, I see."

Pie nodded shyly, and we headed upstairs. I could hear Dutchy from all the way down the hall, and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey! It's Snitchykins!" Dutchy yelled as I entered the room, and I glared at Itey.

"How much chocolate did you bring him?"

"Nothin', I swear!"

Pie looked quite a bit intimidated; he'd never met Spot and Itey, and he'd only met Specs and Dutchy once.

"Itey, this is Pie. Pie, Itey."

Itey smiled. "So, what's your major?"

"Architecture," Pie answered quietly.

"Wow. How'd you find time to come here?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Pie said, and they both laughed.

Spot broke the sudden, uncomfortable silence. "So, Snitchy-boy…heard you have a new infatuation."

I could feel myself blushing already. "It's not an infatuation…"

"Then what is it?"

"Uh…he's just…well…"

Spot was grinning gleefully now. "I've heard all about it, kid."

I glared at Dutchy, and he looked at Specs, who just shrugged and ruffled Dutchy's hair. "Don't worry, you're cute. It makes up for the loud mouth."

Dutchy evidently saw this as a compliment and grinned brightly.

And so, the night continued. We ended up watching Spots favorite movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", Specs and Dutchy made out, Spot laughed at the movie and predicted it line for line, and Itey and Pie had short, quiet conversations and stole glances at one another when the other wasn't looking.

It was all adorable, don't get me wrong, but it made my mood a little less jovial. For one thing, I felt sorry for Pie; even if he met someone he really liked, he couldn't voice it. He'd have to resist the feelings, pretend he wasn't affected, all because his funds might get pulled.

I suddenly wasn't as jealous of him as I had been.

But most of the change in mood was because of my own situation. I wondered if there was any hope at all of getting Skittery to like me, and even if he did…would he be like Pie? Would he push it aside for the sake of family and academics? It was something I didn't even want to think about.

"Snitch? Are you okay?"

I looked up at Spot, and quickly nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Dude…this guy is really getting to you, isn't he?"

"No! I was just thinkin', is all. I'm fine."

He looked skeptical, but dropped the subject.

I was glad…I didn't want to have to explain my uncertainties to him, or anyone else.

* * *

The next morning, I had a nine thirty English class. I really didn't mind English that much; I liked to write, and essays were one of my strong points. That's why I was in the advanced freshman English class here. I couldn't wait to meet my teacher; in my high school, all the English teachers had been perfectionist assholes.

I walked into the classroom, where only a few students were sitting in the desks. I was pretty early to class, after all. But as soon as my eyes went over the second row, my heart stopped beating.

Skittery sat there, chewing thoughtfully on the end of his pen, a notebook on the desk in front of him. He hadn't noticed me yet.

I couldn't sit next to him; he'd think I was obsessed or something. But if I didn't sit next to him, I wouldn't be able to admire him, or ask him to help me with a part of my paper, or do any of that. Besides…I could just pass it off as wanting to be friends if he asked, right?

I took a deep breath, briefly wished I had a mirror to check my hair with, and then headed for the seat beside him.

He looked up and seemed surprised as I sat down next to him, and I grinned, probably looking like a total dork.

"Hey. I, uh…do you mind if I sit here?"

Oh, so smooth, Snitch. Why don't you just say 'Can I sit here for the nice view of your ass when you stand up?'?

"Sure. I mean, I don't mind," he said, a small smile crossing his face as he stuttered. He looked like he was about to say something else, but then he turned back to his paper. Evidently it was some kind of anatomy, talking about tendons and muscles and all that.

I pulled out my English folder and fiddled around with it a bit, trying to look busy. I didn't want to just sit there and watch him, as tempting as it was…I didn't want to freak him out, after all.

"Do you have any white out?" He suddenly asked, his gaze meeting mine. I stared at him for a moment, my comprehension of the English language at that moment just about as good as if he'd spoken Chinese. Which he could probably do, had he chosen to.

"I, uh…yeah, white out. No, I…wait, actually, I think I do," I said, frowning and digging into the front pocket of my backpack. Please, let there be white out…

Success. I smiled as I grabbed the white out and held it out to him, and resisted the urge to sigh in pleasure when his fingers touched mine. He used it and handed it back to me with a "Thank you," and I nodded.

"No problem. Anytime."

_Say something else, Snitch. Say anything at all. Just say something, damnit all!_

"So, uh…what's your major?" I asked, pretending like I didn't already know. He didn't need to know that I had my hacker friend looking him up on the school's network.

"Bio and Pre Med," he said quietly. "What about you?"

Finally, they were having a conversation. A real conversation. I could already feel my pulse racing. "I'm undecided. It's a toss up between business and law, I guess."

"Oh…that's cool. Why the indecision?"

I shrugged. "It's a family thing. You know, dad wants me in business, but I'm leaning toward law."

He chuckled, even though his expression was anything but amused. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"How's that? I mean…if you don't mind me askin'…"

He shrugged, and then the teacher entered the room, and our attention was immediately diverted.

That could _not_ be our English teacher. No way in hell.

She was one of those 80's movie star wanna-bes; in her 40's with a huge mess of curly blonde hair, volumized to the point of looking completely fried, make up that looked like it was put on by the truckload, and a skintight low cut black dress.

It was _highly_ disturbing, to say the least.

"I think I'm scarred for life," I said to Skittery in a whisper.

Skittery, still wide eyed, nodded. "Me too."

Then, we just started laughing. And I can't even begin to describe how beautiful that boy was when he laughed.

The woman looked up at us, but I just gave a small wave and said, "Good morning, ma'am. How are you?"

"I'm just fine," she said, completely oblivious to the cause of our laughter. "And you?"

"Oh, I'm great. Just awesome," I said, disappointed when Skittery went back to working on his notebook.

After only a couple of minutes, most of the students were present (a small class of only 19 students) and the teacher told us to put the desks in a circle. I made sure to maneuver my desk into the circle right next to Skittery's, but it was convenient anyway, so I figured it wouldn't look like I did it on purpose. We were at the end of the circle right next to the teacher, much to my horror.

"Hello, class. My name is Miss Weyenburg," she said. "And to learn all your names, I'm going to have you play a name game."

I rolled my eyes. A name game? That was for middle schoolers, not college kids.

She quickly explained that we were going to go around the circle, and we'd say the names of everyone who went before us, and then add our own. A memory game. And she started it on the other side of the circle, which meant I had to go last.

This was what I call an "oh, shit" moment.

The first part of the game went quick, since those people didn't have to remember many names at all, but once it started getting about halfway through people started struggling. I repeated the names under my breath over and over, memorizing them through and through. Then it came to Skittery's turn.

That boy had talent. He said every single one without hesitating, all correct. He added 'Skittery' to the end instead of Isaac, and then the whole class was staring at me, waiting for me to perform the feat.

I did it. I don't know how I managed it, and I didn't go half as fast as Skitts had, but I made it without error. And as I said Skittery's name to finish up, our eyes met.

I wasn't even listening as the teacher began to try it for herself. I was too busy being lost in his intense gaze, the fact that we were both just sitting there staring not even computing in my brain. It was as if the very air around us electrified, making it impossible to breath steadily or think straight.

A loud crash caused us both to jump and look away, to where one of our classmates had dropped a textbook off her desk. I noticed people looking our way and snickering, and then I realized that she'd done it on purpose. Obviously, quite a few people had noticed that we were unable to move or think for a full twenty seconds.

I blushed and looked down at my feet as the oblivious Miss Weyenburg went on and on about the expectations of the course and Skittery listened attentively. I wanted to look at him again, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Had he noticed? Was he just as embarrassed as me? Or had he been staring just because he thought it was creepy that I was staring at him like that?

I went through the rest of the class in a confused daze, and didn't look up at him again. What had happened? I had felt _something_, there was no denying that. But had he felt anything? That spark, that amazing shiver, that…warm feeling?

When class was over, he was out of there faster than anyone else. I trudged out of the classroom, dazed, confused, and barely noticing the snickering and strange looks I was getting from my classmates.

* * *

Whew! Long chapter! Sorry it had to end on that note…I'll make it better, I promise! 


	4. Oh Sweet Blackmail

Sorry this chapter took so long…I was not only home for the weekend, but also torn as to which direction to go with this…but it's all figured out now. No worries!

Shoutouts

Alexandria Duncan – He likes him? Really? You don't say…

Eagle Higgins-Conlon – Ack. I'm updating at warp speed, dude! Glad you like it!

Written Sparks – Figures that Cooper Science would turn on me, basement planetarium and all. I'm scared of their teacher too, btw! Looking forward to that e-mail!

Saturday – AW! You're makin' me blush here! Here's that update you wanted!

Rumor – SEEMINGLY unrequited love, anyway. I guess we'll see about that. And yeah, I hate myself for making poor Pie an architecture major. Pie/Itey? Hmm…maybe just your imagination…maybe not…guess you'll have to keep reading and find out. And yeah, their classmates are pretty amused by all this.

Erin Go Bragh – Yeah, Ball State isn't very well known outside of the Midwest. And post game highs rock!

Uninvisible – Hey, I don't mind redundancy if reviews are involved! And the squealing is fine. Snitch has been doing enough of it in my head. And hey, I started out like you, not really sure about Snitch…but he grew on me. And now I find him utterly adorable.

Oxymoronic Alliteration – The goddess of the week? Wow…I'm honored! Thanks!

Bobcat:slashgoil – Danke! Ich liebe du, madchen! Well…I know that's wrong…but I'm a Chinese student, not German! Two years of German in high school really doesn't do much…

* * *

"Snitch…what happened?"

I looked up as Blink set down his tray at my table, and then I looked back down at my untouched food, poking the mashed potatoes with my fork. "Nothin' happened."

"Like I'm gonna believe that…it has somethin' to do with Mr. Prodigy, doesn't it?"

I sighed. "He's in my English class."

He looked confused. "But…isn't that a good thing?"

"Yeah, it is, but it's not!" I snapped, dropping my fork as Mush sat down next to Blink.

"Why would it be a bad thing?" Blink asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I made a total fool of myself in front of him," I said angrily.

Mush rolled his eyes. "Come on, calm down. What happened?"

Well, I had to tell someone eventually…may as well be two of my best friends. "Well…we kinda talked for a minute, then the teacher came and we played this stupid name game, and then I was just staring at him and everybody started laughin' at me…"

Okay, so I tend to ramble when I'm upset.

Blink and Mush looked at each other helplessly, and then Mush took over. "Well…what did he do?"

"Uh…well, he was kinda staring too…"

"He was? Snitchy, that's usually a sign that he's slightly smitten too."

I thought about that for a moment. He _had_ been staring right back, but was it that kind of stare? Was it the 'Oh God, he's so beautiful that I can hardly breathe' stare, or the 'Why is this freaky weirdo staring at me' stare? Needless to say, it was the former with me.

"But what if he was just starin' cause he thought that I was weird or something?" I blurted out, and Blink laughed.

"One way to find out. Ask him to help you with that Astronomy assignment."

"Do _what_?"

Mush nodded. "Call him up. Ask for help with the assignment. A study session."

I shook my head. "No, I couldn't do that…"

Blink smirked, grabbed my cell phone, and flipped it open. "What's the number?"

"_I'm not calling him_!"

"Yes, you are, or we're never giving you back your backpack."

Oh, yeah. They still had that. "That's not fair," I said, pouting.

"Life's not fair. Get over it. What's the number?"

I mumbled out the number and he punched it into the phone, and then handed it to me. I briefly considered just pressing the 'end' button before Skitts picked up, but then I would lose my backpack to the abyss that is Mush's and Blink's room. I couldn't afford that, not with all the stuff in it.

So, I put the phone to my ear and waited.

I was about to give up, but on the fifth ring I heard a click, and then a 'thud', and then _that voice_ say, "Hello?"

I opened my mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "Uh…hey Skittery. It's, uh…it's me. Snitch."

I sent Blink and Mush a glare as they stifled laughter, and then suffered through the momentary silence on the other end.

"Oh…hey. What's up?" He finally said.

"Um…nothin', really. I was just…well…" I almost lost my nerve at that point, until Blink raised an eyebrow in warning. "I'm having trouble with the assignment in Astronomy. I was wonderin' if you could help."

"Tonight?"

"Well, it doesn't have to be tonight. I mean, I'm free tonight, if that's okay with you, but I'm free other nights too, so if you can't do it tonight, that's cool. But I can, if you can, but if you can't…"

Shut up, Snitch. Shut up right now.

"…Tonight is fine. But I have class till eight. Eight thirty work for you?"

"Eight thirty is fine. Eight thirty is _great_."

It could've been my imagination, but I thought I heard him chuckle on the other end. Or maybe he was just clearing his throat. "You want me to come over to your place, or what?"

Oh, yeah. We had to decide where. "Um…actually, my place wouldn't be good. See, my roommate, he's an architecture major, and tonight he doesn't have class or work, so he'll probably want to sleep…"

"Ah, poor kid. No problem…uh, you can come over here. Honor's dorms, 208."

I grabbed Blink's pen out of his shirt pocket and quickly wrote down the room number, even though I had it written down in my room too. I just wanted to make sure. "Got it. I'll be there."

"Alright. Uh…well, see ya."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone, positively beaming. Maybe he _wasn't_ mad at me, after all.

"Now see? Was that so hard?" Blink asked, taking his pen back.

"Yes. You guys are morons."

They both grinned. "We know it," Blink said, and Mush punched him playfully on the arm.

* * *

I went through German class in a daze, barely remembering how to tell her what my name was when she called on me. And as soon as the clock struck seven thirty, I started getting ready for the study session. Which, of course, involved a shower, a change of clothes, styling of the hair…what can I say? I was smitten.

I tugged at my wavy brown locks in vain, wishing that my hair wasn't so darn out of control. I mean, Skittery's hair was a bit wild, but it suited him. I wouldn't have his hair any other way, really. It was adorable. But my hair? It just looks messy like that.

I spent at least a half hour in front of the mirror, trying to get my hair to look just right, but it just wasn't working.

"You're such a girl."

I snorted at Pie, keeping my gaze locked on the mirror. "Go back to sleep."

He jumped down from his bunk, and then began sifting around in his drawer until he pulled out a jar of hair gel. He unscrewed the lid, dipped his fingers into it, and promptly went to work on my hair.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"I'm keeping you from torturing yourself for the next five hours."

"I couldn't do that. I have to be there in a half hour."

He worked for about ten more seconds, and then stepped back and motioned for me to look in the mirror.

"You probably killed it, didn't you? It's probably gonna be all dead and…_wow_."

I did a double take at my reflection, and then looked at Pie in shock. "But you…and…how?!"

He shrugged. "I grew up with four sisters, dude."

"No wonder you're gay."

"You're tellin' me."

I looked back at my reflection nervously, and then turned to him. "Do I look okay?"

"You look _fine_. You'd better go if you're walking. You'll never get there on time," he said. "In fact, why don't I give you a ride?"

My eyes widened considerably. "I've seen the way you drive that thing! You expect me to let _you_ drive me?"

He shrugged again with a small smirk. He knew about his reputation on campus with his wild stunts on his motorcycle. "Suit yourself. Have fun running."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Fine. But take it easy, okay?"

About three minutes later, I was sitting on the back of Pie's black Suzuki, hanging onto him for dear life as he cut across parking lots and weaved around cars and construction barrels alike. That kid had an addiction to adrenaline or something, because the way he drove would give you a rush any kind of skydiving couldn't come close to. Kind of like skydiving without a parachute.

But he got me there on time, and that was all I really cared about at the time.

He was off again before I could even say thank you, and I pulled my backpack over my shoulders and walked up the winding path to the honor dorms. This was where the college housed the best of the best, the kids who applied with straight A's, numerous clubs and academic teams, recommendation letters, and SAT scores above 1300. Needless to say, most of us 'normal' kids didn't go in there unless we absolutely had to.

I nodded to the lady at the desk, and then I leaned up against the wall and called up to Skittery's room. He answered the phone, and then said he'd be down to let me in.

Really…I hated those security systems. Even if you didn't have a card, you could always wait for someone with a card to come along, and the students were stupid enough to let you in without question. So, really, there was no security about it, except for after midnight. After midnight, you had to show your ID in order to get in, and the desk personnel were allowed to give you a breathalyzer if you were underage and they thought you might have been drinking.

All in all, it was annoying and only slightly necessary.

I grinned like an idiot when Skittery opened the door for me, a shy smile on his face that made my insides melt. I followed him up to the second floor, and he led me to room 208.

"Sorry if it's kinda messy," he said quietly, opening the door. I walked in and raised an eyebrow; what room was he talking about? This one was impeccable. Everything was in its place, organized and filed…the only disorganized thing I could see was that the bed wasn't made.

I dropped my backpack by one of the two chairs at the desk, casually observing the room. There weren't very many personal items in the room. In fact, it looked more like an office than a dorm room. Except for one thing: there was a bright purple fish in a small goldfish bowl on the upper shelf of the desk.

"Snitch?"

I turned around and realized that I'd been zoning out once again, and I smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Uh…let's do this."

We both sat down and I pulled out my astronomy folder, pulling out the assignment that I haven't even started. I was glad I'd asked him for help; upon looking at the assignment, I'd realized that it was probably impossible to do it when I hadn't paid attention to the teacher at all and hadn't taken any notes.

We were only about five minutes into him explaining Newton's first law when the door opened and a very tall girl entered, her hair dyed a brownish red color and red glasses sitting low on her nose. She bounded over to Skittery, planting a kiss on his cheek.

I swear, I just about had a seizure.

"Isaac! How are you, kid? Who's your friend?" She asked while I was still trying to silently resuscitate myself.

Skittery blushed, and then pushed his chair back from the desk. "Alexy, how'd you get in here?"

"Through the door."

"_How_?"

"One of your friends let me in," she said, ruffling his hair. "Now, who's your friend?"

He sighed. "Alexy, this is Snitch. He's a friend of mine from class. Snitch, this is Alexy. My sister."

Oh. _Oh._

My heart promptly started beating again, and I smiled. "Nice to meet you," I said, holding out my hand to her for a handshake. She grinned and shook her head, and then pulled me into a hug.

"In this family we hug, kiddo," she said, gripping my shoulders tightly as she stepped back. She studied me for a moment, and then whined, "Isaac, why do all the cute ones end up in _your_ room and not _mine_?"

I raised an eyebrow inquisitively as Skittery blushed bright red. "We were _studying_, sis, if you don't mind-"

"Dad asked me to bring you this," she interrupted, holding out a paper sack with a couple of books in it. He reluctantly took the bag and looked at the contents.

"The prof said we didn't need these books till second year. I told him that," Skittery said, looking confused. Alexy just shrugged.

"He said there's no harm in getting a head start. Don't ask me."

Skittery sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. Tell him I'll get right on it. And tell him I said thanks."

Alexy smiled brightly, and then hugged him again. "Wish I could stay, but I've gotta go. You know, that charity banquet. You really upset dad by telling him you couldn't go."

"I've got to study, he-"

"I know, don't tell _me_ that. I know. Just get some sleep, okay? You look like you got hit by a dump truck full of insomnia."

He smiled weakly. "Will do."

Alexy's gaze then turned to me. "Keep him in line, will you?"

I smiled. "Sure thing."

She winked at me, and then said her goodbyes and was out the door as fast as she came.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know she was coming," Skittery said softly.

"It's okay. She's nice," I said, sitting back down. "Are you really gonna try and study those books on top of all the first year books?"

"May as well."

"But…you don't have time for that."

He raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know that?"

I shrugged, blushing. "Uh…you're right. I wouldn't. I'm sorry. I just…it sounds like you're busy enough as it is."

He turned back to the astronomy assignment without another word, starting in again on Newton's concepts. Meanwhile, I'd somehow managed to get lost in thought again, staring at him, studying his every feature.

Sure, his sister was right. He _did_ look tired. But he was beautiful, just the same. His eyes were intense, focused, always lit up with a fire that told me he was more than just a family-driven bookworm.

"Snitch, are you…what are you looking at?"

I suddenly realized that those eyes were focused on me, but for some reason, that didn't deter me this time.

"Nothin'."

He looked confused now. "Listen, if you're tired-"

He didn't get a chance to finish- mainly because my lips were pressed against his, my hand sliding around his neck, gently tugging him closer to me. I don't know what came over me; something just told me I had to kiss him, and I had to do it at that moment. Probably just hormones or something.

I could feel him stiffen at first, but then…he started kissing me back.

It was like those few moments were only a dream, a fantasy that left my entire body tingling from head to toe, my hair standing on end…it was me, kissing _him_. And he was kissing me back. His soft lips moved against mine, and I was in paradise.

However, he broke off the kiss the moment I tried to add some tongue action into the equation. I sat back, breathing in short, shallow breaths, my lips practically numb.

"Oh my God…Oh my _God_," I heard him saying as he stood up. I was still sitting there in a daze, not sure if I could move or speak at all. Then, his voice finally broke through the haze.

"You have to…you have to leave. I just…" he said, his hands shaking as he shoved my backpack into my lap. I stood up, unwilling to just walk out after _that_.

"Skitts, listen…I'm sorry, but-"

"Snitch, just go, okay! Just leave!"

"But-"

"_Go_!"

I stared him down for a moment, breathing hard, and then I angrily shoved my astronomy folder into my backpack and zipped it up. I knew I'd taken it too far, I'd let my hormones take control of my actions, and this was what I got for it. I deserved this and I knew it. It wasn't his fault this had happened.

I walked to the door, but once I got there I turned around.

He was sitting on his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest and his gaze fixed on the wall. I hesitated, and then I said, "You kissed me back, you know."

Having said that, I walked out the door and slammed it behind me.

* * *

Wow. That went in a completely different direction than I thought it would. But hey, every chapter does that! R R!


	5. Frog Baby

Hey! I love all you guys who are reading, you're awesome! Here's chapter 5!

Shoutouts

Alexandria Duncan – Ow…I think I just lost all my hearing…

Matchin' Laces – Hey, I'm not supposed to be reading this stuff, let alone writing it. But hey, my parents are screwed up homophobes, so who cares? I'm glad you think it's cute. Usually I'm not good with cute stuff, considering I'm a tomboy and all…

Thumbsucker Snitch – Squee? You amuse me to no end. And yes, bed is a YAY! 'cause I'm lucky if I get three hours a night. In other words, I worship coffee, dude.

Hepheastion- Wow. Interesting name. Uh…sex gods? I guess you could put it that way!

Written Sparks – Nah, didn't get it. I sent you an e-mail, tell me if you don't get it. And yes, Pie on his motorcycle amuses me to no end.

Uninvisible – Yeah…I started Chinese six weeks ago, and I'm kinda stumbling through it…I keep trying to speak German when she calls on me, and then I say "Sorry, dude!" and she says, "Excuse me? I don't know the Chinese word 'dude'."…it's quite embarrassing.

SarBear22 – Aw, thanks! My friends tell me I have a weird sense of humor. Like me laughing hysterically for hours over a picture of a little kitten holding a sniper rifle. It's the funniest thing…e-mail me if you want it! And yes, I LOVE Snitch's last line. Sent poor Skitts into shell shock, though.

Eagle Higgins-Conlon – Yep. They kissed. And sweet it was.

* * *

I walked back into my dorm room and slammed the door, completely forgetting that Pie was asleep. He shot up in bed with a "What the-" before falling out of the loft promptly cut him off.

"Are you okay?" I asked, rushing to his side as he groaned.

"Yeah…I'm okay," he said, slowly sitting up and grasping his left arm, the one he'd landed on.

"Aw, man, I'm sorry…let me get you some ice for that," I said, heading for the refrigerator before he could protest. I got a plastic bag, emptied an ice tray into it, and then tied it and walked back to him, pressing it on his elbow.

"What's with the door, dude?" He asked, hissing at the freezing cold ice on his skin.

"It's nothin'."

"Hey, you _injured_ me. I'll sue if you don't tell me why."

I rolled my eyes at him. "We just got in a fight, that's all."

He raised an eyebrow. "Got in a fight already? You're not even dating! How'd you manage that?"

"I…I kissed him."

His jaw dropped open, and he stared at me for a moment, speechless. "_You kissed him_?"

"Look, I feel bad enough already. You don't have to rub it in."

"But…and…but you…"

"Yes, I kissed him. Get over it."

"But…what did he _do_?"

"He kissed me back. And then he kicked me out."

Pie looked highly confused now. "That don't make sense."

"Yeah. I know."

I helped him get up and walk to the orange chair, and he collapsed down into it, gingerly testing out his arm. Then, he reached for the telephone.

"Who are you calling?" I asked.

"Specs. You're obviously gonna be in one of your moods."

"No, come on, Pie…it's past nine, don't bother him…"

"Well, I'm not staying here _alone_ with you."

I practically growled at him, then collapsed onto my bed and burrowed down into the ten gazillion pillows piled on it. I just wanted to sink into the mattress and cease to exist, or at least forget all the events of the past few days. I vaguely heard Pie talking to Specs, but I didn't listen to him. I didn't want to.

I don't know how long I lay there, wishing I could suffocate myself in my own pillows, and then I felt a gentle touch on my back.

"Snitchykins? You okay?" A voice said, a voice that I recognized as Specs.

"Mmph."

"Could you dig yourself out of there long enough to talk to me?"

"Mmph."

He suddenly grabbed my shoulders and yanked me up out of the pillows, and I scowled at him, wrapping my arms around my legs and pulling them to my chest.

"Look, you're probably overreacting. You scared the poor guy, Snitch. He needs time to cool off and think."

"Or time to transfer to different classes."

"He kissed you back, right?"

"Yeah, right before he _kicked me out_."

"He wouldn't have kissed you back in the first place if he didn't feel _something_ for you, kid."

I snorted and looked away from him, and he sighed and stayed silent for a few moments. Then he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"Hey…hey, Snitch, _look at me_," he said, forcefully but gently, holding my chin and looking me right in the eye. "You're smart, you're talented, you're funny, you're cute as all get-out…if he doesn't see that, then he doesn't deserve you. Someday you're gonna find somebody perfect for you, and even if it isn't him, you're gonna be happy cause he'll appreciate you just for being you. Because you're perfect just the way you are. You understand me?"

I nodded slowly, feeling like crying but certainly not about to do so in front of Pie and Specs. He let go of my chin and leaned back, digging in his backpack and pulling out a plastic baggie with a huge chocolate chip cookie in it.

"I stole this from Dutchy's stash for you," he said, and I immediately recognized it as one of the famous "Dutchy's mom" cookies. See…Dutchy's mom owns a bakery that specializes in cookies and cakes, and you will never find a cookie to rival one of hers. She actually offered to bake a complete, real wedding cake for when Dutchy and Specs have their 'wedding'- and she offered to close the bakery for an afternoon for the reception.

Yes, Dutchy and Specs are having their 'wedding' this summer. And their parents are treating it as if it were a completely normal legal wedding. They even hired a preacher from Chicago who was willing to come down and perform the ceremony.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I envy those two. If I told my parents I was getting married, even to a girl, let alone a guy, I'd have months of fighting and saving up money ahead of me. They love me, sure, but they just don't think I'm capable of making my own decisions yet.

Anyway…back to the present.

"Thanks," I said, taking the cookie and breaking off a piece of it as Specs held out a cookie to Pie as well. Pie shook his head.

"Can't. I'm allergic to flour, dude."

At that, I promptly choked on my cookie. "You're allergic to _flour_?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? It's a curse."

We were silent for a long while after that, the radio playing softly in the background as Pie gathered his books for his next class. Specs finally broke the silence.

"So…what are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what he meant.

"About…Skittery."

I shrugged. "I dunno."

"Well, you can't just start ignoring him."

"I don't see why not."

He sighed. "Well, as long as you're gonna be okay, I've gotta get back to my room before Dutchy breaks something. Or before he counts his cookie stash."

I nodded, and he patted me on the shoulder and stood up. He talked quietly with Pie for a few minutes, and I guess I should've paid closer attention to what they were saying, but I honestly didn't care.

I curled up in my bed of pillows and fell asleep crying silently.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, and as expected, Pie was already off to class. I looked at the clock, realized that I'd already missed my Economics class, and promptly decided not to care.

I stood up and decided that I wanted to get out of the small room for lunch, and quickly threw on the first clothes that I saw. The shirt happened to be Pie's, but I didn't really care, seeing as how he was always stealing my clothes anyway. I think it's just that he's so tired in the mornings that he honestly can't remember which clothes are his and which are mine.

I grabbed my wallet and keys and walked out, turning around to lock the door, which had to be locked from the outside. I immediately saw the blue envelope taped to the outside of the door, my name printed neatly on it.

The "I" in Snitch was dotted a little to the left.

I grabbed the envelope and tore it open, my eyes speeding across the words as fast as I could read.

_Snitch,_

_Sorry about last night. I overreacted, and we need to talk things over. Meet me at Frog Baby at __seven o'clock__ tonight._

_Sincerely,_

_Skittery_

I couldn't believe what I was reading. He'd overreacted? He wanted to talk things over? This had to be a dream. Then again, I thought the kiss had been a dream, and it was just as real as the economics class I'd just missed.

And for those of you who don't know, Frog Baby is a local legend here on campus. It's a statue of a baby standing in the middle of a fountain, and surrounding this fountain are numerous statues of little frogs spitting water into the middle of the fountain. The legend goes that if you rub Frog Baby's nose the night before an exam, you'll get an A.

Needless to say, Frog Baby's nose took a lot of abuse over the years. So much, in fact, that at one point he barely had a nose to rub. It had nearly been rubbed right off. So they sent Frog Baby in for a nose job, and installed security cameras around the fountain.

Nobody rubs Frog Baby's nose anymore.

Anyway, what do you think I did?

I decided to meet him.

I've always been an optimist at heart, I guess.

* * *

Sorry this chapter was so short! But I like it. And yes, the Frog Baby legend is a true story, straight from my college. We're very disturbed kids here.__


	6. Desperation

Here's chapter 6!

Shoutouts

Thumbsucker Snitch – Tell Sita I'll sik SuperHyper!Dutchy on her if she doesn't read. Wow! I have a fangirl…that makes me happy beyond belief…one question, though…who is Ellen? I wanna hug her.

Eagle Higgins-Conlon – Pie liking Snitch? Nah, sorry…just friends there. However, if you keep your eye on Pie and Itey…

Saturday – Glad you like the detail. I included it for a reason. And yes, if you knew Pie's sisters, you'd COMPLETELY understand why he ended up gay.

Matchin' Laces – If you have ideas for slash stories, then write slash stories! We wanna read 'em!

Alexandria Duncan – It's killing you? YAY! ……….You? Doe eyes? Pshaw.

Erin Go Bragh – Aw, I'm glad I could make your day! And believe me…I was a marching band kid in high school too. I know EXACTLY what you're talkin' about. Like our trombonists saying stuff like "Feel free to touch my boner anytime." I loved the trombonists…but anyway. I love the Cavaliers!

Hepheastion – Your mom too? Aw, poor lady! Give her a hug for me!

Oxymoronic Alliteration – Wow…thanks a lot. Handcuffs? Condoms? The closet? Snittery? Now I have to go take a cold shower. Pshaw.

Cynic – You're not forgiven. Who are you, to think I would forgive you for THAT? I will drag you through campus tied to the back of my bike and sacrifice you to Frog Baby.

SarBear22 – I'm attempting to revert to my older days when I was known as Dakota Jones, Mistress of Suspense and Queen of Updates. I've been lurking, so I'm making up for it now.

* * *

I went to the Atrium, one of the closest places to eat, and I quickly spotted Itey sitting at his usual perch. He always sat at one of the tables for two on the edge of the upper level, overlooking the whole cafeteria and a beautiful view out the glass to the outside just past that.

I got my food and sat down with him, smiling but not saying anything. Itey is normally pretty quiet, and if he's in one of his 'contemplative moods', you really don't want to get him started.

"I heard about what happened," he said after a minute or so of silence.

I rolled my eyes. "What, is Specs telling everyone?"

"He told Dutchy."

"That counts as telling everyone."

He laughed and picked at his salad a little. "Well…are you gonna try and talk to him about it?"

I considered the question for a moment. If I told Itey about the note, he'd tell Specs or Dutchy, and then everyone would end up knowing. That would make it very likely that Spot would bust out his beloved video camera and hide in the bushes near Frog Baby; I didn't doubt that he'd tape every word and show it to anyone who was interested.

So, I opted to just not mention the note.

"Eventually I might."

Itey nodded. He opened his mouth as if to say something, hesitated, and then finally spoke. "When's Pie gonna be back from class?"

I grinned mischievously. "Does somebody have a crush?"

"No, I just wanna talk to him again…"

"Sure," I said, winking at him. "Sorry, but he has classes till 6:30, and then he goes to work at 7. Won't be back until after one in the morning."

He nodded again, looking quite disappointed. I really wanted to be able to say something to cheer him up, but the truth was, I didn't want to get his hopes up. Even if Pie liked him back, there was that whole situation with Pie's scholarships…it just wouldn't work.

I looked outside and realized that it looked like it was about to rain. That was really bad for me, since I didn't bring an umbrella or a jacket.

We were silent for another few minutes, barely eating but not talking either. And then Itey looked up at me with a smile. "Hey…my brother's birthday party is tomorrow night at his frat house. You're welcome to come if you want."

"A frat house? Wouldn't it be better described as a 'kegger' instead of a 'party'?"

He smiled even more and shrugged. "Come on, Snitch…you can't go through your freshman year of college and not go to a single kegger. Specs and Dutchy are going, and so is Spot."

"Dutchy and alcohol? That's not a good mix…"

"But it'll be _fun_! Come on…at least come for a few minutes and hang out. You don't have to drink."

Now, this was peer pressure personified. But it couldn't hurt to drop by for a few minutes and just make sure none of my friends were getting _completely_ smashed, right?

"Alright, I'll drop by. I probably won't stay, though."

"Awesome!" He said, and he told me where the party would be at, and then I finished my lunch and quickly left. I had to get to German class.

* * *

I was sitting by Frog Baby at seven o'clock on the dot, working on my German assignment in the fading sunlight. I was nervous, but at least trying to concentrate on a foreign language was somewhat getting my mind off it.

And thank God the rain had held off. I was only hoping it would hold off just a little longer. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and shivered as a breeze blew against me.

"Snitch?"

I looked up and Skittery was standing there, his hands shoved in his pockets and his already unruly hair being tousled even more by the wind. I closed my German book and shoved it in my backpack, smiling up at him.

"Hey."

Cue awkward silence.

"So…you wanted to talk to me?" He asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"No, uh…I came cause you left that note on my door, dude."

"What note? I got a note from you…"

Oh, no. This wasn't even happening. It couldn't be.

But then I remembered that first day in Astronomy, when Specs accused me of being smitten. He'd asked where Skittery dotted his I's, and I'd told him…

A little to the left.

"Those _bastards_," I snapped, and Skittery shifted his weight nervously.

"What's going on?"

"We got set up, Skitts."

He looked surprised, but I knew I didn't. I should've expected it from the start. I stood up and looked around for the red blinking light on Spot's camera.

"Where are you, huh? You enjoying this?!" I yelled at them, knowing they were there somewhere, I just didn't know where. Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down. It's not a big deal," Skittery said, and I turned to face him. "I, uh…I wanted to talk to you anyway."

I eyed him suspiciously for a moment, but then I nodded. "Yeah…I guess I wanted to talk to you too."

"I'm sorry about kicking you out like that. I mean…I should've at least helped you with the rest of the assignment."

I snorted and threw my hands up in the air. "Is that all you're worried about? The damn _assignment_?!"

He cringed at the tone of my voice, but I was pissed and I wanted him to know it. "I…well, no, but…"

"Look, Skitts, it's great that you want to help me pass Astronomy, but that has _nothing_ to do with why we're here. You kissed me back, damnit, and then you go and kick me out?!"

"I know!" He yelled right back, the first time I'd ever heard him raise his voice. It certainly shut me up, that's for sure. "I know, okay! And I'm sorry!"

When I spoke this time, it was much quieter, my fists clenched at my sides. "So that's it? You just want to say 'I'm sorry', and let that be it?"

"That's all it _can be_."

Hearing him say that was as bad as if he'd punched me in the gut. I stood there for a moment, staring him down, and then I forced down any hint of tears and turned away, shaking my head.

"Fine. You know what? That's fine. It's not _my fault_ you can't be yourself," I said as I pulled on my backpack.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, his tone dangerous.

I practically laughed as I walked back to him, getting within a foot of him. "Doin' everything for your dad, aren't you? You don't want to be a doctor, _anyone_ can tell. But you're gonna earn that degree, because it's what Daddy wants. And you know what? Daddy wants you to be straight, so, surprise surprise, you're gonna be straight. You don't even fucking know what _you_ want."

"That's not true!" He screamed, shoving me backwards. I stumbled and almost went into the fountain, but managed to keep my balance.

"Whatever. You watch…you're gonna be miserable the rest of your life. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself because you don't have the guts to do what your heart tells you to."

I turned and walked away just as rain began to fall into Frog Baby's pond, unable to hold back my tears any longer.

* * *

I skipped English class the next morning. The last person I wanted to see was Skittery, certainly not the day after the fight at the fountain. I went through all my other classes in a daze, confused, hurt, and angry.

And by the time evening came, I decided to go to that party. I was willing to do anything that might help me get my mind off the situation I was in.

Just as I'd suspected, it was a full blown kegger. People were already spilling out onto the front steps, beers in hand, laughing drunkenly. I pushed past them and went inside, hoping to find one of my friends somewhere in the mess. Not that I would've been able to talk to them; the music was so loud that I could barely hear myself think.

I spotted Dutchy and Specs through the crowd, but decided not to bother them, considering they were quite busy with each other on the sofa.

"Hey there."

I turned around and found myself face to face with Jack Kelly, one of the senior members of the frat house I was in. He smiled and handed me a plastic cup with punch in it, and I smiled, glad to see someone who wasn't completely plastered.

"Hey."

"What brings you here?" He asked. I smelled the drink he'd handed me, but it didn't smell weird or anything, so I went ahead and took a drink.

"I'm a friend of Itey's. You seen him?" I asked, having to shout over the music.

"No, man, I haven't yet. You having fun?" He asked as I took another drink.

"Only been here a couple minutes," I said, and within minutes we were having a conversation.

Also within minutes, I was beginning to feel a bit confused. Lightheaded. But at the same time, it wasn't a _bad_ feeling, so I shrugged it off.

Jack's eyes studied me carefully, which should've made me uncomfortable, but for some reason it didn't. Then he grabbed my hand, tugging me through the people.

"Come on, let's get you out of this crowd. You're lookin' a little flushed," he said, and I was too dazed to really object. He led me through the kitchen, and once we got to the stairs I got the vague feeling that something was wrong. That I shouldn't be going with him.

But I was too dizzy and confused to ask where we were going or why. I just…indifferently followed him. It felt as if I _couldn't_ fight him.

Soon he had me up the stairs and pressed up against the wall, and I felt his lips on my neck, kissing and biting my skin. I tried to push him away, but my hands just wouldn't move that forcefully, and he was just too strong.

"No…stop it," I demanded, but it came out weak and shaky. And just a few seconds later, he pushed me into an empty bedroom and shoved me on the bed. The room was spinning around me, and I couldn't figure out what was going on.

Just as he finished unbuttoning my shirt I heard the door open, but I was too weak to turn my head and see who it was. I lay there panting, still weakly protesting.

"You _BASTARD_!" I heard a voice yell, and then someone punched Jack and sent him to the floor. I heard a few more thuds, but I couldn't concentrate on what was going on…the whole thing seemed so distant…

"Snitch? You okay?"

Something finally clicked. I realized that it was Skittery standing by me, buttoning up my shirt, looking at me with concern written plainly on all his features.

I really wanted to talk, but not only could my brain not form words, but I couldn't remember what I wanted to say. I couldn't remember where I was, who I was with, who I was…anything.

As Skittery lifted me off the bed into his arms, the whole world faded to white, then black.

* * *

Um…I think I have a new muse, people. Cause that came outta nowhere. And for those of you who didn't figure it out (hope you all did), Jack spiked Snitch's drink with Rohypnol, better known as the date rape drug.

One more chapter to go (or so I hope)!

Review, please!


	7. Lucky Number 44

Bwahahaha! Two chapters in one day, yet again! This is the last one…short and sweet!

Shoutouts

Alexandria Duncan – Nope, not one of yours. I'll figure out who it is…eventually…

Saturday – Yeah…let's just say Jack has never been one of my favorites…you are awesome, by the way, stickin' with reviewing this all the way to the end. Hugs and cookies for you!

Thumbsucker Snitch – I can just see that…you squealing out loud in the school library. Hehehe…

Cynic – Geez, woman…you're embarrassing me…

Laze – Aw, thanks! Believe me, it's nice to WRITE after a long day of classes…or in between classes…or when I'm supposed to be at class…nah, just kiddin'.

Oxymoronic Alliteration - I have no life, that's how. I get addicted to writing these things. And no, the chapter won't be up tomorrow…it's up today. Right now. TWO IN ONE DAY, WOOT!

* * *

The first thing that hit me was the pounding pain in my head. Then the dizziness.

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, cringing against the bright light. I quickly realized that I was in my dorm room, lying on my bed.

"Welcome back."

I finally focused in on the person sitting beside the bed, and I realized that it was Skittery. I looked around, confused.

"What are _you_ doing here? What happened?" I asked. The last thing I remembered was walking into that party…nothing past that.

Skittery leaned back in his chair, closing the book that he'd been reading. "Jack Kelly spiked your drink with Rohypnol at the party last night."

Rohypnol…I'd heard of that before. In health class…

It was a date rape drug.

"But I didn't…did he…he didn't…" I stuttered, so scared that I couldn't manage a complete sentence.

"He didn't do anything to you, if that's what you're wondering. I didn't give him the chance."

I cringed. "But…how'd you know where I was?"

"I was worried when you didn't show up at English. I spent all day tracking down your roommate, who just happened to have heard you were going to that party. And by the time I got there, Jack was already dragging you upstairs."

I was shaking now, simply from shock. If Skittery hadn't come to that party to find me…I couldn't even think about it.

He obviously noticed me shaking, because he sat down beside me on the bed and hugged me. I held onto him and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths, trying not to think of what might have happened.

"Ssh…you're fine. You're okay," he said quietly, trying to calm me down.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"No," I said. "I'm sorry for what I said at the fountain. You…you didn't deserve to hear any of that."

He hesitated, and then smiled. "Nah…I needed to hear all that," he said, and I looked up at him, confused. "You're right, Snitch…about all of it. And I wanna try and fix things. I didn't even realize it…not until I thought about what you said. But…you're right."

"About the doctor thing…or the straight thing?"

He smiled. "Both."

He leaned in toward me, and-

"SNITCHYKINS!"

I promptly grasped my head in pain at Dutchy's yell as he ran in and rushed to my side.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I swear, if he hurt you, I'll-"

"He's fine. Don't talk so loud," Skittery said with a smirk.

Dutchy finally seemed to notice Skittery, and he grinned. "Hey! If it ain't Mr. Prodigy…"

"Mr. Prodigy?" Skittery asked, raising an eyebrow. I slapped Dutchy on the back of the head, and he got my point rather quickly.

"You sure you're okay?" Dutchy asked me, and I nodded.

"I'm fine, thanks to Skitts," I explained. Then, a question popped into my mind. "Dutchy…why aren't you hung over?"

"What are you talkin' about? I _am_ hung over."

Oh good Lord. If this was him hung over, I was glad Specs was occupying him while he was drunk.

Speaking of Specs, the brunette entered the room at that moment, breathing heavily.

"Dutchy…when I said…that Snitch was still in bed…I didn't mean…that he was _dying_," he said between gasps for air. "Damn, you…run fast…"

"You know, guys…I'm fine. You didn't have to run over here," I said quietly.

"Just wanted to check on you and make sure you were doing alright," Specs said. "And, uh…we wanted to apologize for, you know…not keeping an eye out for you at the party."

I laughed. "Specs, you two were so drunk, I don't think you would've recognized me."

"Well, true, but still…"

I rolled my eyes. "Go on, you two. Dutchy's gonna be late for ballet."

"It's _swing_," Dutchy said, pouting.

"Well, either way, you're gonna be late."

With many protests from the blonde boy, Specs dragged him out of the room. But no more than a few seconds later, the door slammed open again.

Pie stumbled in, kissing Itey hard, slamming the door shut and pushing him up against it. And as he moved his kisses to Itey's neck, Itey finally noticed Skitts and I sitting there looking pretty horrified, I'd guess.

"Pie…" he started, and then gasped as Pie hit a sensitive point. "Hey, Pie…PIE!"

Pie finally stopped his assault and looked up at Itey, who pointed at us. The room was pretty much dead silent as Pie Eater turned around to look at us.

He frantically started buttoning the top buttons on his shirt, saying apologies that I only half understood as Itey adjusted the collar on his shirt.

I barely resisted the urge to just burst out laughing as Itey muttered some excuse about having to go do homework, his face bright red as he left the room. Pie watched him go, and then turned to me, still a little out of breath.

"Snitch…thought you'd be at class."

"_Obviously_."

He blushed again, and then grabbed his backpack and left in a hurry, probably to catch up with Itey. As the door shut, I couldn't hold back any more; I just started laughing. I guess the scholarship problem was…well…no longer a problem.

But I was abruptly cut off when Skittery kissed me.

I immediately decided two things:

One, that I was going to major in criminal justice.

And two…that my new lucky number was 44.

* * *

TA DA! The end!

I'm gonna miss it…means I'll have to start a new one, I guess…

But tell me what you thought of this one, people!


End file.
